Open grate fobj burning coai



J. ATWATER.

Fire Place.

Patented Nov. 9, 1838. 7

JAMES ATWA'IER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT,

OPEN GRATE FOR BURNING COAL;

Specification of Letters Patent No; 1,001, dated November 9, 1838'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES ATWATER, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, a citizen of said- State and of theUnited States, have inroom into the chimney, to pass through the coalwhen required; also: to prevent the warm air of theroom, from beingcarried oil too rapidly and uselessly, and thus wasting the heatgenerated by and radiating from the fire; also to keep in the room, amore uniform temperature than is usually done by the open grate; also tobe able to control the fire, making it burn rapidly or slowly atpleasure; also to prevent dust and gasfrom entering the apartment; alsoto keep out of sight the ashes and coal, which usually fall fromtheburning pile, and also to exhibit and keep in sight during. itsoperation, the beauty" and 'cheerfulness of an openfire, combined withthe advantagesof a close stove. To combine all these improvements Iinclose the wholeexterior of the grate or rack for coal, with iron-andwith mica, leaving only a passage for the air necessary for-combustion.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my inventionandimprovement, I describe its construction and operation and the severalmodes in which I have contemplated its application, as follows,iob-

serving that grates with my improvements may be set, permanently'in fireplaces, or in framesmade separate and portable.

The form which I prefer for parlor grates is portable and is so:calculated that it may be placed in a fire place; or in' any part of theroom. The rack for coal may be in common form; lined with fire-brick orsoapstone on the back and: sides and is surrounded except in front withiron plates,

exhibiting the form and appearance of a fire place; as seen in Nosrland: 2 of the drawings accompanying this specification;

At the bottomunder the rack for coal, is a plate ofiron, extendingbeyond the rack 46 or 6 inches more or less in front fLIlChOH each sideand fills the space between the pilasters. Under this plate is a chamberof suitable size, communicating with a chainher in the rear of the rack,which opens into ,the flue of the chimney, or into the smoke a pipe. Thejambs-may be set flaring with a ,icurve from the rack (and may bepolished ,or plated with German silver) and termilnate in-hollowpilasters or'oolumns, project- ;ing from l to 6 inches moreor less,beyond ;the front line of the rack. The pilasters or Ecolumns may be 8or 10 inches wide and2 101 3" deep more or less, and on these restsjanentablature, covering the rack and progjecting to the front line ofthe pilasters and" I: may be 8-' or 10 inches high or in duepropor-wtion. The hollow of the pilasters open freely into the entablature andinto the hollow of thehearth. A grated ashpan rests upon the plate underthe rack and an orifice'opens gbetween the ash pan and the bottom of thegrad; into the chamber behind the rack, and 1 another opening is madefor a direct draft, from the entablature above the rack, into jthe smokepipe or chimney. Both the orifices may be opened and atplea-sure closedby slides, valves, or stoppers. I then place a crossbar or plate of ironfrom one pilaster to the other horizontally of suitable size for thedoors hereafter mentioned to shut against &;c'., the lower edgeiof thebar, risjing abovethe level of the bottom of the I rack. Onthe inside ofthis crossbar I place fa plate of iron made and fitted as a valve, ;tofill up all the space, between the rack,- bar, and jambs. Thi's plat-eor' valve when 1 in place slants downward, from the top edge of thecross bar; to; the-lower bar of the rack, and may be hung with hingestothe cross bar or suspended on pivots connectedjw-ith the pilasters,and by a pin or crank in the cross-bar may be' made to fall or 'irise toits place, as seen in N0; 3 of they drawing section and in No.2'section. I jgthen inclose the'front from: the lower edge of theent'ablature down to the cross bar I and between the pilast'ers, with:iron framed doorsor slidespaneled withmicaa The space between thecross-barand the :bottom plate I inclose with amovable plate I of iron,or the closingplate may be fixed in place, having suitable openings torake the coal and to admit air, &c;, withslides. or

ldoors to open and to closeithe' same. I also lplace in front of thebottom plate as above ldescribed, a hollow hearth: 6 or 8 inches V ablepartitions are made in the hearth to direct the course of the fumes.This hearth is so made and connected, that it may remain permanent orcan be easily taken off, to be cleaned, or for other purposes. The gratebeing. thus set, is supported on feet, and may be fixed in a fire place,or placed in any part of the room. When placed 1n a fire place a furtherimprovement may be made by surrounding the back and sides by a case oftin, thus forming an air chamber into which cold air from without .maybe admitted by proper flues, and dlscharged warm into the room, throughan opening made for that purpose in the front of the enta-blature.

For further illustration I refer to the drawing. No.1 and No. 2represent the improved grate as above described-A the rack for coal; B,B, the curved j ambs; O, C, pilasters; D, entablature; X, opening in itfor warm air; E, the cross bar; F,,F, doors with mica panels; G, closingplate under the cross-bar with doors or slides at I, I, to admit air,&c.; H, the hearth; Nos. 2 and 3 inside section exhibit the plate orvalve attached to cross bar, with the pin or crank O to move it, Nos. 1and 2; 0, valve to control the direct draft. 7

Thegrate may be made and used with or without the projecting hollowhearth; when used without the hearth, the chamber under the bottom plateis closed in front, and a direct communication is opened between thepilasters and that chamber and by extending the chamber to thepilasters.

To make a cheap and economical grate, set permanently in the brick wallof a chimney with my improved front, I set the rack nearly in a linewith the front or j ambs of the fireplace and surround the whole with aniron frame or plates of, iron projecting outward from the wall of thechimney a suitable distance from the top, bottom and sides so as topresent a front for the doors 4 or 6 inches more or less forward of thefront of the rack. I then place a cross bar horizontally in front, fromone side plate to the other, with a plate or valve-attached, in the samemanner and for the same purposes as above described for the portablegrate, and the front is closed by a closing plate below the cross bar,and above it by doors or slides paneled with mica in the same manner asin the portable grate and additional panels of mica may be inserted inthe sides. See No. 3 of the drawings: A, the rack; B, B, B, projectingsides and top; C, C, doors; E, mica panels in the side; 'F, cross barand valve; G, closing plate; X, side section showing the cross bar andvalve.

The advantages resulting from my improvements, so far as respects theprojection beyond the front line of the rack, are the same in both modesspecified. The volume 5 of heated air in the chamber of combustion isthereby enlarged and the gas confined; the micain the doors is thusprotected from the fire, and the valve on the crossbar whenclosed uponthe lower bar of the'rack forces I 30 the air necessary for combustionto pass through the coal from the bottom of the rack, and prevents theair of the room, from coming in contact and deadening the fire in therack or passing off with the fumes. The combustion is regulated byopening or closing the small doors or valves more or less as in stoves.p

The operation and the peculiar advantages resulting therefrom in themode first de-' scribed, are, that after the fire is well kindled byforce of the direct drafton closing that fluethefumes from the chamberof combustion are forced circuitously, through the pilasters into thehollow hearth, and are carried off through the chamber under the bottomplateto the smoke pipe or chimney, radiating heat in their progress, inproportion to the great extent of surface passed. Another advantage isthat when incased with tin cold air from without is made to pass betweenthe plates till warmed or heated and is then discharged into the room inthe manner specified. Another advantage is that the closing plate belowthe rack, shuts from View the ashes and droppings from the rack, and byopening the door or slide in the front'of this plate and the door orslide of the chamber behind the rack, the grate may becleared of ashesand all the dust prevented from entering the room.

My improved grate as above specified may be made wholly of cast iron, orpartly of sheet and partly of cast iron, and of any size required andwith more or less mica, and

more doors than specified, may be used, if experience should requirethem, and the Whole may be ornamented to suit the fancy.

What I claim as my invention and improvement, and as distinguishing myimprovement from all others, consists 1. In projecting the top, sidesand bottom, of the frame of the grate a suitable distance from the rackfor the coal or fire, and placing a cross bar, in the front line of theprojection, with a valve behind it, made to open 7 and close atpleasure, the space projected between the rack and cross bar, as abovespeci- 2. I also claim the inclosing of the whole front of a fire grate,with iron doors paneled with mica above the fire and with a plate ofiron below the rack, in combination with the projected front, cross bar,and valve, all made substantially in the manner and for the purposesabove specified. But I do not claim as my invention, the inclosing withiron and mica, or otherwise, the front of fire grates as heretofore madeand used.

3. I also claim as my invention the hollow hearth in either of the formsabove specified, whether portable or fixed, when standing in front of afire grate and connected with an entablature and pilasters or columns orwith pilasters or columns alone in the manner and for the purposes abovespecified, and I also claim the same in combination with the projected,front, cross bar, and valve made in the manner and for the purposesabove described and specified. a

4. I also claim irrespeotively a portable hearth as specified,-whenstanding in front of a fire grate and connected therewith for thepurpose of conducting the products of the chamber of combustion throughthe same in any form, so as to radiate heat therefrom into the apartmentas new and as my invention.

And to secure my invention and improvement thus specified and claimed Isolicit Letters Patent. a

May 12th 1838.

JAMES ATWATER.

Witnesses:

SIMEON BALDWIN, DENNIS KIMBERLY.

